Melbourne Cup Runner-Up Fiorente Targets Australian Cup 2013

Sydney’s lady of racing Gai Waterhouse is eyeing the riches of the Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival having named the 2013 Australian Cup as a major goal for her surprise Melbourne Cup runner-up Fiorente.

The imported Monsun five-year-old joined Waterhouse’s operation just before the spring, the British Group 2 winner making an instant impact when crossing second to Green Moon as a $31 roughie in the world’s richest handicap – the $6.2 million Group 1 Emirates Melbourne Cup over the two miles at Flemington.

Formerly prepared by Sir Michael Stoute, the exciting stayer showed plenty of promise right from the start of their career and will be out to break their Group 1 maiden when they resume racing in the autumn.

They have won two of their 10 career starts to date, a maiden at Newbury at start number two back in May of 2011 and most recently the Group 2 Princess of Wales’ Goldsmiths Stakes on a Slow Newmarket course in July where they defeated a smart field of stars including Joshua Tree and last year’s Melbourne Cup runner-up Red Cadeaux.

Impressed with their Melbourne Cup performance, Waterhouse is excited to bring them back and head towards the $1 million Group 1 Dubai Australian Cup (2000m) back at Flemington on March 9, 2013.

“At this stage we have pencilled in the Australian Cup for Fiorente,” Waterhouse’s Racing Manager Bruce Slade said.

“We’ll just have to have a chat with the owners first and see how he comes up of course.

“As long as everything is going well with the horse it looks a nice race for his autumn program.”

Looking further ahead Slade said that Fiorente’s grand final goal next year would again be the Melbourne Cup 2013.

Also gearing up for a big Melbourne Festival of Racing from the Waterhouse stables is gun three-year-old Proisir who will be prepared for the $600,000 Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington on March 2.

The Choisir colt has won three of their five career starts to date undefeated until their second to It’s A Dundeel in the Spring Champion Stakes in Sydney on October 6.

The untapped youngster was last seen finishing a distant eighth in the Cox Plate behind Ocean Park in Melbourne, Waterhouse confident they will be competitive getting back to a mile, the distance they won the Group 3 Spring Stakes over at Newcastle back in September.

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